


Good Stuff

by BarqueBatch



Series: Howling Dogs & A Howling Commando [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Artist Steve Rogers, Bucky's trying to be a good boyfriend, Comfort Food, Comfort No Hurt, Commando Bucky, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hamburgers, Huskies are peoples too, M/M, Protective Bucky Barnes, Sassy Steve Rogers, Steve out of the hospital, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-04 12:21:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5333936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarqueBatch/pseuds/BarqueBatch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve's fresh out of the hospital. Bucky's determined to take good care of him, but Steve just really wants a hamburger. Of course nothing is that simple with these two dorks.<br/>***Continuation of The Regal Conflict***</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Based upon true events.

Steve just turned his most pitiful puppy dog expression upon Bucky, and Bucky didn’t even know what to do with it. He hadn’t even known that Steve had a pitiful puppy dog expression until it hit him dead center, right in his chest. How did his face even _do_ that? He thought the babies were bad, but seriously? Right now? They had nothin’ on Steve Rogers. And those lashes! The US military needed to replicate those and deem them top secret because they were fucking dangerous as hell. Jesus, he really needed to keep Steve to Dr. Banner’s orders, but he had no idea how to say no to that face.   
  
“Buck, I’m _dying_. I really want a hamburger. I’m serious. I can’t do bland shit anymore. I just can’t. I’ll lose my damn mind.”   
  
“Steve, c’mon, be reasonable, okay? Dr. Banner said you needed to ease back into normal food.”   
  
Steve’s lip pooched out even further. Bucky couldn’t decide if he wanted to kiss it, bite it, or cry to the heavens for fucking help, because Steve seemed to know exactly how powerful that plush, pouty lip was.   
  
“I just want a bacon burger! Bucky, please! I’ve been in this hospital for _eight_ _days_! We can pick it up before we head home! Good Stuff isn’t that far!”   
  
Bucky’s head fell back against his chair as he watched Steve pull on his hoodie and zip it. Eight days was right. Two days of cranky. Two days of sass. Two days of bored bitterness, and now they were closing out two days of _whining_. Whining on a level that put even Bucky himself to shame. He was going to do everything in his human powers to never allow Steve to fall ill enough to land in a hospital again. Jesus.   
  
“A hamburger’s bad enough, but you wanna put _bacon_ on it? That’s shit for your stomach, Steve!”   
  
“It’s local farm sourced! Highest quality ingredients and all made in-house by their oh-so-talented chefs!”   
  
Bucky tried so hard not to snort loudly at Steve’s commercial announcer voice, but it was a lost cause. If Steve wasn’t such an amazing artist, Bucky would’ve thought he’d missed his calling as a radio talk show host… or an infomercial actor.   
  
“It’s still greasy!”   
  
Wait, what the hell was he doing? Steve had dropped carefully to his knees and was crawling over to Bucky’s chair. He wormed his way between Bucky’s legs and rested his hands to Bucky’s shoulders. If Bucky so much as twitched his hips _just a little_ … and fucking hell Steve had a long torso! How had he missed just how lanky Steve must have been before he beefed up?   
  
“Buck,” Steve murmured seductively, his voice at just the right pitch, “I _swear_ I will go back to safer food for the rest of the week if you will just get me a burger. I probably won’t even finish it!”   
  
He let his fingers drag lightly down Bucky’s chest. “I just want… a… taste…” he teased, bringing his palms to rest upon Bucky’s thighs as he leaned in seductively.   
  
Fucking shit. Little asshole. How was he supposed to rebuff that?!   
  
“No fries,” Bucky choked.   
  
“No problem,” Steve grinned. “Share a milkshake?”   
  
“Don’t push your fucking luck, Rogers.”   
  
Steve’s grin just grew. Punk.   
  
*^*^*   
  
Bucky dropped heavily onto the couch while Steve went to wash off at least some of the hospital smell. Near the door, the babies were putting on their best appearance of behaving, but Rig was licking his chops expectantly.   
  
“Forget it,” Bucky muttered at him. “I’m not even getting up from this couch… like ever…”   
  
Eight days was a long time to hang out in a hospital chair. He’d come back to shower, change his clothes, and give the babies a little love, but that was mostly it. After he’d pulled several ninja stealth moves to get into Steve’s room after visiting hours, the nurses had basically given up and pointedly ignored his presence. The downside of his brilliance and tactical skill was that he hadn’t really slept much in the last eight days. Actually, he hadn’t slept much before that either, since he’d been keeping vigil over Steve at his apartment.   
  
So tired didn’t even begin to cover it. He’d be lucky if he managed to crawl back to his own apartment. The dogs might have to drag him by his pant legs.   
  
Bucky was already halfway through his burger when Steve came back and sat down beside him. Steve wasn’t that much better off than Bucky. He didn’t sleep well in hospitals, and who could blame him? Trying to get that 6’2” frame comfortable on that hospital bed was a ridiculous notion.   
  
Steve stared at the black screen of his tv as he took a couple of bites of his burger. He chewed absently, partially zoning out just like Bucky… then he frowned and looked down. He slowly picked a mushroom from his burger and eyed it with a dumbfounded expression.   
  
“It’s… _a mushroom_ …” Steve swallowed the bite in his mouth and grimaced. “Why is it spicy?”   
  
Bucky turned his head to look at Steve, then the mushroom. “What’d you order again?”   
  
Steve looked over at Bucky, then down at the burger in his hand, of which there was about a quarter left. His finger shot out accusingly to point at the applewood bacon dangling from it.   
  
“I ordered THAT!”   
  
Bucky’s eyes widened. Sure enough, Steve had his steakhouse burger with cremini mushrooms, and he’d just sleepily devoured most of Steve’s coveted bacon burger. He looked up at Steve guiltily as he gulped down the bite in his mouth.   
  
“Oh shit, Stevie… I’m so sorry!”   
  
Steve’s eyes narrowed and Bucky quickly held out the last three bites to him. “I forgot what I ordered… but uh… here…?” He hastily swapped the burgers as Steve silently fumed and pouted.   
  
“Hey, you said you just wanted a taste anyway,” Bucky deflected as he practically turned away from Steve to start wolfing down his intended burger before Steve murdered him in cold blood. Just for good measure, he pushed the nearly-full toasted marshmallow milkshake toward Steve with his fingertips.    
  
“Here, pal. You can have the whole milkshake, okay?”   
  
“I am so killing you once you fall asleep. Your dogs won’t even care because I’ll feed them Malnati’s twice a week.”   
  
“That’s really hurtful talk, Stevie,” Bucky mumbled past another mouthful of swiss and onion straws.   
  
“We haven’t even had _sex_ yet, and you stole the hamburger I’d been dreaming about for _three days_ ,” Steve grumped. “I’m breaking up with you.”   
  
“We aren’t even official yet,” Bucky frowned. “How can you break up with me if you never got with me in the first place?”   
  
“Shortcut,” Steve harumphed. “Task management.”   
  
“Stevie,” Bucky whined, “I’m not a _task_!”   
  
“No,” Steve allowed after a couple of seconds, “you’re a _menace_.”   
  
“Menace?!”   
  
“Yeah.” Steve bit into what was left of his burger and groaned, the whole time keeping a guarded side-eye upon Bucky. “I’m blaming you for Rig’s food thieving!”   
  
“Whaaaat?” Bucky could only gape at Steve. “I did not teach him that!”   
  
“My burger will be avenged, Buck. I just wanted you to know.”   
  
“Stop sounding like Lana del Rey and finish your food before I take it back,” Bucky growled, and silence befell them as they continued to eat with tense, feral, food distrust hanging heavily between them. Even the dogs were watching them carefully. Someone had to drop something at some point, right?   
  
“I can’t believe you know who that is,” Steve snorted suddenly.   
  
“Clearly so do you,” Bucky grunted past his next to last bite of burger. “M’not bringing you a trash can if you have to throw that back up.”   
  
Steve just smiled at him as he slurped obnoxiously at his milkshake. Bucky secretly mourned its loss.   
  
“Yes, you will.”   
  
“No, I won’t.”   
  
“Yep.”   
  
“Nope.”   
  
Steve leaned in close. “You like me. You braved dragon breath for me. You’ll bring me one.”   
  
“Go fuck yourself,” Bucky huffed as Steve bumped into him.   
  
“I’d rather fuck you,” Steve whispered coyly, but Bucky quickly shook his head in spite of his cock’s sudden interest. Thank god he was half asleep sitting up, otherwise he’d already have Steve halfway to the bedroom.   
  
“You are not puking bacon burger on me in the middle of sex,” he stated firmly. “Even I have my limits.”   
  
“Awww,” Steve grinned, voice still low. “Kink for another time, then.” 

 

Dear lord, how could this kid be so perky on so little sleep? God help them both when they were both rested and healthy.   
  
“Uh… Have some pity on me, Steve. I’m barely staying vertical right now.”   
  
Steve’s expression softened dramatically as he brushed a crumb away from the corner of Bucky’s mouth. It was a sweet, fond smile that curved his lips as he nodded.   
  
“Yeah, you’ve been taking such good care of me, you haven’t done much for yourself,” he murmured, suddenly serious. He wordlessly held the milkshake at an angle so all Bucky had to do was lean a fraction toward him to take a drink.   
  
“How are you with midday naps?”   
  
“Soldier, Stevie,” Bucky mumbled back, his eyes riveted to Steve’s. “‘Can sleep anywhere, anytime.”   
  
“Oh, well then my bed should be a piece of cake…”   
  
Bucky smiled wearily. “Right now I don’ think I can manage anything other than falling into a pillow.”   
  
“Good,” Steve chuckled as he stood up and offered Bucky his hand, “‘cause I don’t put out until after the first date anyway… and you promised me thief-free dining.”   
  
His smile slowly spreading wider, Bucky stared at Steve for a long moment, just drinking him in as best as his sleep-deprived brain could manage before taking Steve’s hand. Cuddling up with Steve for a ridiculously long nap sounded like fucking paradise.   
  
Once they cleared the food wrappers and bags away from dog reach, Bucky followed Steve into his bedroom. They kicked off their shoes, and ditched their jeans; there was enough summer warmth coming inside to make cuddling with too many clothes problematic even for a person just getting over being sick. Steve shucked his hoodie and climbed in, leaving the sheet and comforter turned down. Bucky climbed in behind him, and even though Steve was a little taller, they still fit together just fine. Bucky wrapped his arm around Steve’s waist and nuzzled into the back of his neck.   
  
“You stink,” he sighed contentedly.   
  
“Thanks,” Steve sighed back.   
  
It was all Bucky heard before he essentially passed out, a soft smile still upon his lips and Steve still clutching his hand.  



	2. Tujunga

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm having some technical difficulties with my laptop, so most of this was written on a bluetooth keyboard hooked up to my crappy ass phone. Thank LG for any weird auto-correct typos that I might have missed.

He really wanted to ignore his phone. It was a hateful device, one that was trying to drag him away from the touch and scent of Steve’s warm skin. He burrowed his face against the back of Steve’s neck, but his new beau squished up his shoulders and patted his arm.

“Buck…? Buck, your phone’s… keeps going off…” he mumbled through his haze of sleep. Really, Bucky shouldn’t be letting his phone disturb Steve’s sleep, especially when he’d just gotten home from the hospital the day before. With a heavy sigh, Bucky rolled over and checked his phone. There were only four texts, but his phone was set to keep signalling him until he unlocked it. There were too many times where he hadn’t heard his alerts, and it had caused serious issues with his work.

The texts were from Nat. A nineteen-month-old girl, initially taken by her derelict father, was now in the hands of her father’s cartel contact. He owed them a bit too much money, and had tried to stage a fake kidnapping to get money out of his ex-wife’s father. Said father-in-law was a prominent tycoon in San Luis Obispo. To add to the joy, the kidnappers were holed up in the ass crack of Tujunga Canyon, which was currently boxed in on three sides by a string of wildfires.

Bucky looked up at the ceiling for a long moment before rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Fucking California.

He lolled his head over wearily to find Steve’s now-alert azure eyes already fixed upon him.

“I’m sorry, Steve,” he whispered. “Sometimes I can pass on ‘em, but this ain’t one of ‘em.”

“Bad one, huh?”

“Little girl. Yeah. Gotta wrap it up fast,” Bucky sighed, reaching out to run his thumb lightly across Steve’s eyebrow.

“Go get her,” Steve nodded, “then come home safe, okay? We’ll be here.”

Bucky blinked slowly at him, realizing Steve was talking about the dogs. “They’re a handful, Stevie. I can ask Nat’s friend Pepper to check on ‘em.”

“They can stay here where they’ve got someone home all day,” Steve shushed him. “I’m well enough to handle two wily food bandits, now that it’s been established that they aren’t actually plotting my demise.”

Feeling pangs of guilt over leaving all three of them, Bucky still hesitated. Steve ran his fingers over Bucky’s jaw. “Go on. Go be a badass so I can brag about ya more to Sam.”

Amazed by how stoic Steve was over Bucky already being called out on a mission with his ex-wife, Bucky rolled partly atop Steve and kissed him. Steve hadn’t even touched the topic, for which Bucky was grateful. He could never explain to Steve how and why he and Nat worked so well together. They worked well with their liaisons and head agents also. It was why they had such a high success rate.

“You’re sure?”

“Get outta here. The sooner you go, the sooner you get back, and the sooner I get dinner and sex.”

“You’re amazing,” Bucky proclaimed softly, his eyes wide with wonder. “Okay, your mission while I’m gone is to be my hot-ass baby-daddy, and to get your stomach ready for the most amazing first date dinner ever.”

“You didn’t mention about getting ready for after dinner…” Steve murmured, his eyes trailing down Bucky’s body as he let his voice trail off suggestively.

“Because that’s not part of your mission,” Bucky rasped, dragging his fingers over Steve’s hip where the waistband of his boxers had gone slightly astray. “You meet your objective…”

He rucked up Steve’s shirt and placed a couple of promising bites along his taut skin.

“...and I’ll see that you’re very… well… rewarded…”

Bucky’s phone went off again, this time a call. Nat would skin him alive if he delayed them even five minutes. He hit the answer button and spoke in his all-business tone.

“Be there in ten, Nat.”

“Steve,” she called over the line before he could disconnect, “kick him out of your bed. Now.”

“Yes ma’am,” Steve answered without hesitation, and immediately did just that. Bucky just blinked up at Steve’s smiling face while his ass smarted from the landing.

“Are you fuckin’ kidding me, Rogers?”

“Oooh no,” Steve laughed. “I’m not about to piss Natalia off. Not even for you, Bucky Bear.”

Bucky’s mouth fell open as he hurriedly stood and started pulling on his clothes.

“I’m leaving another fucking note on your door, Rogers.”

“You’ll have to find someone else to draw it, won’t ya?” Steve grinned, entirely too satisfied with his own sass. “Besides… I’m your baby-daddy now; you can’t be mean to me.”

“I’m flushing your weed before I go,” Bucky huffed, but he still gave Steve a longing look over his shoulder as he finished tying his shoes. To his surprise, Steve surged upward and bit the back of his shoulder hard enough to leave a sharp sting and a wet patch on his shirt.

“Focus,” Steve whispered. “That’s to remind you of what you’re coming home to.”

“Cannibalism?” Bucky cracked, but he quickly cupped Steve’s face and kissed him breathless before he pulled away. He dropped down to place quicker smooches to Rig and Bella’s heads, who were giving him woeful stink-eye. They knew too well what repetitive phone signals and rushed movements meant.

“I love you,” he cooed to them both. “Behave for Steve, okay?”

He gave a parting glance to Steve, who waved silently. He tried to shut the door quietly as he exited into the hallway, but he was only a few steps toward his door when he heard two distinct howls, low and mournful as they sounded from Steve’s apartment. He absently rubbed at his shoulder as his stomach dropped with more guilt.

Nat was in the hallway waiting for him after he ducked into his apartment to grab his mission bag, which was always packed and ready by the door.

“Oh wow,” she blinked, her mouth slightly agape as she took in his expression. “Already? That’s… That’s really something. I’m glad I was right.”

He glanced at her as he passed, needing to get out of the building before he heard another chorus of woe from his babies. “Right about what?”

“That Steve would be good for you,” she smiled, bumping his shoulder with her own. “There’s already a difference in you. It’s already in your eyes, James.”

“Really, Nat?” he pouted, taking her words like salt in a wound. He couldn’t believe she was stooping to digging at him while he was still tired and fighting off an emotional funk. “Why you gotta mess with me like that right now?”

She stopped short on the sidewalk and grabbed his arm to halt him as well.

“Hey,” she frowned, “I’m not teasing you. I’m serious. It’s not just the kiddos you’re not wanting to leave. You’re already falling head over heels for him, and it’s sitting really well with you.” She gripped his chin just firmly enough to make sure he met her eyes.

“I’m happy for you, Bucky. Honestly. I’m over the moon. You need this and you deserve it.”

Bucky was actually, truly speechless. Nat had never been a cheerleader for anyone he’d dated, so this was frighteningly surreal for him. Luckily she turned on her heel and started toward her car again, so he was spared the awkwardness of trying to respond to that strange show of softness.

“Move it, Barnes,” she called out as he stood there dumbfounded. “Peggy will have both our asses if we’re late.”

Bucky broke into a fast jog toward her car, his mind snapping back into mission mode. If there was one thing he knew from hard-earned experience, it was not to fuck with Agent Carter on any level. Everyone thought they were safe giving her lip, right up to the moment where they had her foot firmly up their ass. Bucky had done it once, but he would never be that stupid or disrespectful again.

____________________________________________

They’d been forced to take a commercial commuter flight rather than one of SHIELD’s company jets due to a misappropriation by Tony Stark. To say it put Peggy into a sour mood was an incredible understatement, and Bucky wasn’t surprised to find her arguing with Tony’s father when they arrived.

“They could have been here two hours earlier, Howard! Get a leash on that boy of yours!”

“He’s still a kid, Peggy. Kids do things like this,” the elder Stark sighed. “I can change the override and access codes, but the kid’s even smarter than I am. He’ll just hack ‘em again.”

“Figure it out, Howard. He just compromised a child’s well-being, and I cannot abide that!”

Nat walked right up to Peggy, not caring if she interrupted. There was well-worn understanding and respect between her and Peggy, so Bucky had no problem following her lead.

“Oh dear.”

Bucky looked up to find all three staring at him. He might have zoned out for a minute as they spoke, which was a big no-no with Carter.

“Is this one really serious enough to have you daydreaming on us?”

Damn it. Peggy could always see right through him, almost as well at Nat. It hadn’t bugged him in a long time, but right now he felt terribly out of joint over it.

“I wasn’t daydreaming. I’m tired.”

“Sitting in a hospital chair for a week will do that,” Peggy answered with faux sweetness in her tone, but her eyes were diamond-hard. “Are you currently fit for duty, Sergeant Barnes?”

Technically his designation was Agent Barnes now, but his Howlies were sometimes pulled in to help and they only called him Sarge. The title had stuck, and even Peggy used it now. Even though they were on a first name basis, she tended to fall back upon it when chiding him. He usually hated it, but he also usually let it slide. Today wasn’t one of those days though. 

“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t, Agent Carter,” he answered lightly, shooting Nat a murderous look. It didn’t really surprise him that Nat had aired his business to Peggy; that was just the way their inner circle worked, but today it irritated him. Recognizing his mood for what it was, he tried to reel it all back in before he got kicked off the team. This was a bad one, and they needed his expertise.

“Fine. Keep the blood flowing to the right head, Barnes,” she snapped at him, also overly-irritated. Wisely, Bucky just nodded so she gestured to the other side of their temporary HQ. “Since this one’s a real devil, I pulled in three of your boys. I couldn’t get Dugan and Dernier out. Seems they have a latrine duty for a week after a stunt that raised a few brows. Those three will have to finish out their penance once they return."

Bucky held back a grin, but not the snort of amusement as he followed her gesture. Sure enough, Gabe, Jim, and Monty were all reviewing a map of the area. They glanced up when he gave a sharp whistle, looking a bit wary of Peggy. Bucky gave a slight grin and a thumbs up, which drew smirks from them and a huff of exasperation from Peggy.

“Go on,” Peggy muttered with a roll of her eyes. “You’ve got twenty minutes to talk logistics before mission briefing.”

Nat didn’t follow immediately, for which he was grateful. He strode over to his boys, relieved to have them there.

“So who pissed in Phillips’ Wheaties this time?”

“Seems all the seams of Rumlow’s uniform pants became unseemly, Sarge,” Monty informed him with his usual dry delivery. “Nasty business, that. Terrible display. Very unbecoming a man of his rank.” 

“Uh huh,” Bucky sniggered, pushing his hands into his pockets. “Who did it?”

Jim blinked back at him with a look of pure innocence. “Classified, Sarge.”

“Yep, classified,” Gabe grinned, not even trying to give poker face.

“Classified,” Monty echoed.

“So proud that you boys know what classified means.” Bucky just shook his head as he looked down at the floor. Dear God, he loved these guys. He’d likely never know who actually took up the seam ripper, but that was okay. They didn’t do anything without it being unanimous, because if one took punishment, they tended to all get it. One in, all in, or nothing.

Bucky was really glad they were here.  
____________________________________________

The elevator doors opened for Sam. He shifted Steve’s present under his arm and hung a left out of the lift toward Steve’s apartment, but there was already someone standing there. The man’s hand hovered just over Steve’s doorknob, and while he assumed it must be Bucky, Sam was struck just a little dumb over the way Bucky was already zeroed in on him. Between the way his full attention was already on Sam, and the eyes that were indeed icy and calculating, Steve’s new beau was definitely intimidating. Sam thought Steve was being humorously melodramatic when he said Bucky looked dangerous, but now he saw firsthand that Steve hadn’t been joking at all.

“You lost, buddy?”

Sam blinked, then quickly held his hand up. “No, sorry man. I came by to see Steve. You must be Bucky…?”

His eyes still wary, Bucky shifted the two deli bags hanging from his left hand. 

“And you are…?”

The movement was… more of an adjustment, like he was ready to use it as a makeshift weapon. Looking at Bucky, Sam wasn’t entirely sure he couldn’t if it came down to it, and he had no desire to give the guy reason to even consider it an option. Sam knew he didn’t have a reason to fear this guy, but the back of his neck tingled with apprehension in spite of that.

“Yeah, sorry… I’m Sam. You kinda startled me. Steve’s not a big social butterfly… Didn't expect anyone at his door.”

And just like that, Bucky’s whole attitude changed. He literally uncoiled right in front of Sam’s eyes, and broke into a huge grin. He darted his hand out to Sam in greeting as his eyes lit up.

“Sam Wilson? Shit, I’m sorry. That’s why I was giving you the once over; he IS a hermit, and I knew everyone else was home.”

Sam was still fighting a little bit of irrational fight or flight instinct as he firmly shook Bucky’s hand. He was having a hard time taking in the sudden shift of gears the man before him just pulled. Sam was no stranger to PTSD since he volunteered at the VA, and Bucky’s initial reaction to him coming out of the elevator spoke to that same type of headspace. Maybe it was amped up at the moment from him being out in the field, but Sam wondered if Steve knew about Bucky's hyper-awareness.

“No worries. I’m glad Steve’s got good neighbors.”

Bucky’s face lit up a little more at that, almost shyly. “I’m a good neighbor now?”

"You're like State Farm now." Sam couldn’t hide the knowing grin he felt coming on. “Little rocky there at first, but I think you’ve passed neighbor status. Steve doesn’t usually let anyone mother-hen him when he’s sick. Definitely doesn’t let people hang out in the hospital with him.”

“Do you think I overstepped there?” Bucky scratched lightly at the back of his neck. "I don't wanna be too clingy."

The question was serious; Bucky’s expression shuttered off a bit. He was clearly worried and asking for Sam’s advice. That was a relief to Sam. This guy already cared enough to swallow any pride he might have and ask for a little guidance to do right by Steve.

“No, man. Not at all. Seriously, whatever magic you worked…? Keep doing it.”

“Okay,” Bucky answered quietly, a tiny smile coming to his lips. He jerked his thumb toward the door. “I’m being rude! C’mon in-”

Sam quickly shook his head and held up a single hand again. “Hey, he mentioned you were out of town, and I’m guessing you’re just getting back. You two could use some time alone. Can you just give ‘im this and tell him I’ll catch up with him tomorrow?”

Bucky stared at the present, those calculating eyes kicking back into high gear. “That… a birthday present?”

“Yeah. He was in the hospital though. He woulda killed me if I brought it up there.” The guy looked up at Sam like he’d been kicked. “Hey, don’t take it personal if he didn’t tell you. He’s just like that. He doesn’t think it’s a big deal.”

“When was it?”

“The day you took him up there. Thank you for that, by the way. I appreciate you looking out for him,” Sam told him, still a little in awe that Bucky had glued himself to Steve’s side like that… and that Steve had let him.

His eyes bulging with disbelief, Bucky’s shoulders sagged. 

“The fourth? Seriously? What the hell…?” His voice trailed off and he shot a little glare toward the door, but made a welcoming gesture. “Sam, really, come on in. I’ve got an extra sandwich in here. You can have lunch with us.”

“I will take you up on that… but not today. Trust me, just get in there. He’s been moping the past two days. We can gang up on him later.” He wasn’t about to interrupt this little reunion, and frankly, Bucky looked beat. He looked like he could really use some quiet time.

“You sure?”

“Positive. Good meeting you though,” Sam answered, reaching out to shake Bucky’s hand again. The guy shook his hand firmly and frowned at the door.

“You too, Sam. Sorry ‘bout the cool reception at first.”

“Not a problem. I’ll see you... tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure. Looking forward to it.”

Sam was already in the elevator with the doors beginning to close when he heard a ruckus in the hallway. He managed to catch a glimpse of Steve being practically dragged by two enormous huskies, both of whom began howling and boofing the moment they reached the top of the stairs. Sam just grinned to himself as the elevator engaged and started its descent. Despite Bucky giving him a slight scare at first, that whole little unit seemed to work. Now that he’d met Bucky, it just felt right, and he was looking forward to getting better acquainted with Steve’s new guy.  
____________________________________________

Bella and Rig knocked Bucky against the wall as they mauled him with kisses and whines. Thankfully he had Steve there to hand off the sandwiches to, so he could crouch down and throw his arms around their necks. He buried his face into their fur, so happy for the softness of their summer coats and their enthusiastic affection. Of course it dawned on him a little late that Steve was standing there smiling, patiently awaiting his turn. He calmed down the twins and stood, his smile sheepish.

“Hey… I’ve been slobbered on-”

Steve didn’t let him finish. He pulled Bucky to him with one hand clutching his t-shirt, and planted a welcoming kiss upon his lips.

“I’ve been slobbered on too,” he whispered. “Welcome home, Buck.”

Bucky slid his arms around Steve’s waist and sighed as he pressed his forehead to Steve’s shoulder. “Thanks,” he murmured as Steve nuzzled into his hair.

“Smell like smoke,” Steve mused quietly, and Bucky shuddered a little.

“Gotta shower,” he rasped. “Came straight home from the wrap up.”

“Did you get her?”

This. This was what Bucky had dreaded and longed for in the same breath. He didn’t want to answer, but he needed Steve. He needed his dogs. He needed to hide for a while.

“Yes... No.” Bucky took a shaky breath to answer, then amended. “We did everything right, but it still went wrong. She’s in the hospital. They don’t think she’ll make it.”

He felt the breath leave Steve’s lungs, and his boyfriend wrapped his arms protectively around Bucky. “I’m so sorry, Bucky.”

Bucky just stood there, completely still as Steve just held him. He finally patted Bucky’s back and gently stepped back from him.

“Come inside, Buck. Take a shower then be a couch potato with me.”

“Okay,” Bucky muttered, holding Steve’s hand as he followed him in. Beside him, both dogs were sniffing hopefully at the bag dangling from Steve’s fingers, but their mood was subdued, likely picking up on his sadness. Steve pushed him toward the bathroom, and Bucky heard him talking quietly to the dogs as he herded them back into the front room. 

Normally, he’d stand under the hot spray for a good long time before emerging to bum clothes and dog cuddles, but this time he just wanted Steve’s closeness. He finished quickly and tossed on comfortable gym clothes. When he came out, Steve had their sandwiches out on the coffee table, along with a beer for Bucky. When he sat down, Steve smoothed his hand down his back, wordlessly saying that he was there for Bucky if he needed to talk about it. 

Bucky didn’t want to. Not at all. He was grateful that Steve seemed ready to leave it be if that’s what Bucky wanted. He looked over and noted that Steve’s present from Sam had been moved, but not opened.

“Sam dropped that off.”

Steve took a bite of his sandwich and glanced over. “Did you two get to talk at all?”

“A little,” Bucky admitted. “He seems like a really good guy. Didn’t seem surprised that you sat in the hospital all day on the fourth and didn’t bother to tell me that it was your birthday.”

“Sorry, Buck. I don’t like to make a big deal about my birthday on a good day. I definitely didn’t want to talk about it in the hospital,” he grimaced. “Wasn’t really feeling festive.” 

“But birthdays are special, Steve,” Bucky argued softly past a half-hearted bite of his food. He thought about the little girl they’d failed. “We never know how many we’ll get.”

Steve looked over at him thoughtfully. He picked slowly at a pickle that was sticking out of his sandwich, tossing it onto his plate.

“I know. I’m painfully aware of how uncertain it all is. I grew up each year wondering if I’d see my next one. My ma made a big deal out of ‘em, but once she passed away, I just stopped caring about ‘em.”

Bucky wasn’t sure what to say to that, especially with Steve’s eyes locked onto his face. He wasn’t sure what Steve wanted to hear, but he was spared the indecision by Steve clearing his throat and resting his palm to the side of Bucky’s neck.

“I think today might have me changing my attitude a little. I’m grateful for what I have. I don’t want to lose any of it.”

So many things were racing through Bucky’s head that seemed odd for the moment they were in. He wanted to crack a joke to break the tension, and Rig was trying to ninja in on Steve’s sandwich, but he didn’t want to give up the tenderness he felt from Steve right now.

“Can we celebrate it late…? When I take you out?” he asked, nuzzling his cheek against the side of Steve’s hand.

“Sure,” Steve answered softly. “Just no singing waiters, okay? I kinda hate that.”

“I promise. None of that. Just you an’ me.” 

“Sounds good,” Steve whispered.

They finished eating and, while Steve took out the garbage, Bucky quickly ran the dryer over his hair. It didn’t really bother him that it was wet, but he didn’t want to get Steve wet when they curled up on his couch. Once Steve was situated, Bucky crawled onto the couch with him and rested his cheek to Steve’s stomach. They watched a Nova program about Pluto now being a dwarf planet with the babies crashed out on the floor right in front of the couch. Bucky fell asleep to Steve gently rubbing his scalp as his arm dangled off the couch, his fingers buried in the softness of Bella’s neck fur.

____________________________________________

The stare-down had been going on for about a half hour now. Steve narrowed his eyes and slowly put a fry into his mouth. He was determined to win this, and a growl of displeasure told him he was well on his way to accomplishing just that.

“No fucking way, Rig,” he muttered. “Your daddy’s a rollover, but you are _not_ getting my people food. Besides, your Daddy already stole my hamburger last week, and he was baaaaad because he didn’t go get me another one to make up for it.”

“AwruhrooRUHruf!”

“Don’t you backtalk me, young man,” Steve frowned. “I will not enable your thieving ways!”

Rig had the audacity to snort at him. Steve pointed at him in warning. He tossed his head defensively and did a strange, gurgling growl that Bucky insisted was husky dialect for ‘asshole’. Steve couldn’t help but believe him at the moment. Rig directed that at Steve an awful lot.

“Bells… tell ‘im,” Steve pouted. “I’m being a responsible baby-daddy...”

Bella didn’t even crack an eye. She remained primly situated upon the fluffy throw rug. The brand new fluffy throw rug that Steve had totally caved over and purchased online for their canine comfort. If anyone cornered him on the matter (which Bucky had), he would refuse to admit that he had it shipped 2nd day air.

“Mmfph,” Bella grunted, her snout only twitching slightly where it rested upon her paws.

“Thank you,” Steve muttered. Rig loved him just fine when he threw a tennis ball across the park. He loved Steve just fine when he decided to become a lap dog. He loved Steve’s shins when he was sprawled out on the couch sketching away.

He just didn’t love Steve when he refused to leave his food unguarded like a certain, unnamed daddy.

While she wasn’t above sampling any pilfered food, Bella wasn’t much for fries. If she wanted what Steve had, she used an entirely different approach. She would sit next to Steve, facing away from him. A lady had to maintain a certain air of indifference after all… Then, when Steve was engrossed in something like a chicken avocado sandwich, a head would delicately flop sideways onto his thigh, roll over slightly, and give him upside-down, sultry eyes.

She learned that from Bucky.

Except it worked better for her than it ever would for her Daddy. Steve had better ways of rewarding that kind of behavior from his boyfriend than giving up his favorite grub.

Speaking of… Bucky was usually painfully punctual; it was something they deeply agreed upon, but Bucky was running later than he’d said he’d be. He’d had a couple of loose-end errands to run, so he had to beg off meeting back up with Sam, but with a promise of a reschedule. He also had a debriefing meeting with his boss, someone Bucky had referred to only as Carter. Steve hoped it went well so that Bucky could be in a good mood when he got back. Bucky running late didn’t really bode well for that though.

Steve was just beginning to get antsy when his door finally opened and Bucky walked in with an expectant smile. It dropped immediately when he saw Steve shoving some fries into his mouth.

“Babe, seriously? I’m about to take you out for an amazing dinner and you’re eating fries?” Bucky plucked the remaining four fries out of their pouch and inhaled them with a wounded look on his face.

“I’m hungry, Buck!” Steve stood up and pointed to his torso. “My ribs are gonna start showing any minute!”

Bucky’s mouth quirked upward at the corners as the twins rubbed against his legs. He gasped and gently pried them away. “Aww, hey, noooo! C’mon guys! I just lint rollered these off!”

“Really?” Steve gave him a silly grin. “Why in the hell would you do that when they haven’t seen you for four hours?”

“Because I keep trying to have faith that they’ll stop ignoring their training when I come home!”

“It’s good to have dreams, I guess,” Steve chuckled, then laughed outright when Bucky playfully slugged him. “How’d the meeting go? Should I offer up a conciliatory blow job before dinner?”

And score: Owl blink. Steve Rogers, 8 points, because getting those sooty lashes to slowly bat like that was currently Steve’s favorite thing in the world.

“Really?”

“Absolutely,” Steve promised, giving Bucky a little lash-batting action of his own. Bucky might have partially swallowed his tongue. Steve couldn’t be entirely sure until Bucky suddenly remembered himself and reacquired his ability to speak whole, decipherable words.

“No… but only because it won’t stop at that, and I called in a favor to get us a prime spot at the restaurant tonight,” he mumbled, very obviously regretting his own willpower.

“Uh oh… favor, huh? Should I be jealous?” Steve asked, drawing closer.

“I gave the owner my monthly allotment of tickets to the aquarium so he could take his boy and some of his friends for his birthday, so I hope that’s not a jealousy offense,” Bucky answered slowly, his eyes focused upon Steve’s lips.

“Oooh,” Steve cooed, running his fingers up the back of Bucky’s arm. “Hot soldier that cures nausea… Rangers fan… science geek… and now also has monthly comp tickets from the aquarium… I might have to propose, Buck…”

Steve was joking, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t file away the flicker of terror that flashed through Bucky’s eyes before he gave a small laugh.

“I know! I’m a fuckin’ catch, right?” He puffed his chest up a bit for good measure, then quickly pointed to his dogs. “Don’t forget the babies. You have to love them to love me.”

“Kiss me,” Steve beamed, giving his response in a more physical manner as he leaned forward suggestively. Bucky’s nose twitched.

“No, you have illegal french fries on your breath.”

“So do you,” Steve murmured, glancing at Bucky’s lips as his voice dropped. He wanted Bucky even more than he wanted a nice dinner right now, but they’d decided to try the waiting game. They’d agreed to hold off until at least tonight, then play it by ear. An ear definitely wasn’t what Steve wanted right now. Bucky would be lucky if they got through dinner without Steve climbing him like a tree right there in the restaurant because right now? Right now Bucky looked fucking delicious. His black jeans were just tight enough to make Steve ache a bit below the belt. The dove gray, V-neck dress t-shirt hugged his chest beneath the black blazer he wore, and the color turned his eyes a shade that had Steve’s mouth watering.

So right now, Hot Boyfriend was in danger of not making it out of Steve’s apartment, but Steve was determined to at least try to be good. He’d make do with a kiss for now. Thankfully, Bucky seemed to accept his argument, and had no trouble obliging him with a heated kiss.

Bless Nat for watching the babies tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter... THEIR FIRST DATE!!


End file.
